Nail setting tool for applying grooved paneling

ABSTRACT

A nail-setting tool for mounting grooved paneling, having a body portion that is held by hand and inserted in the groove. A plunger that engages the head of the nail is slidable on the body portion, and a hammer is employed to engage the plunger and drive the nail so that the head thereof is flush with the bottom surface of the groove.

United States Patent [191 Yocco Sept. 10, 1974 1 NAIL SETTING TOOL FORAPPLYING 1,671,080 5/1928 Merrick 227/156 x 2,199,833 5/1940 Fleischman227/148 X GROOVED PANELING 2,979,092 4/1961 Bradford 145/46 Inventor:Albert Yocco, 2617 Jean 3,429,013 2/1969 Pabich et al. 227/156 x Racine,Wis.

22 H d: A 12 1973 Primary Examiner-Granville Y. Custer, Jr. 1 Attorney,Agent, or Firm-Axel H. Johnson [21] Appl. No.: 350,320

[57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. 227/156 A nail-setting tool for mountinggrooved paneling, [51] Int. Cl. B25c 1/02 having a body portion that isheld by hand and in- [58] Field of Search 227/119, 147, 148, 156; sertedin the groove. A plunger that engages the head 145/46 of the nail isslidable on the body portion, and a hammer is employed to engage theplunger and drive the [56] References Cited nail so that the headthereof is flush with the bottom UNITED STATES PATENTS Surface of thegroove 329,278 10/1885 Copeland 227/147 5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures NAILSETTING TOOL FOR APPLYING GROOVED PANELING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION.

1. Field of the Invention.

This invention relates to a tool for driving nails in the grooves ofwood or composition wall paneling without the risk of accidentallydefacing the surface of the paneling by a hammer.

2. Description of the Prior Art.

The prior art includes nail-setting tools which have a body portionprovided with a hole through which a nail is driven, followed by a punchto finally set the nail. The punch has a pin which engages the nail headand a stop to limit the depth to which the nail is driven by means of ahammer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION.

The customary method of nailing grooved paneling to framing is to drivethe nails into the groove as far as possible without striking the panelsurface with the hammer. A nail set or punch is then employed to drivethe nail head flush with the bottom surface of the groove. It frequentlyhappens that the hammer may glance from the punch and strike the panelsurface and deface it. The punch when struck may also slip from the nailhead and produce a hole in the panel adjacent to the nail.

This invention comprises mainly in a tool having a body portion held byhand in the groove of a panel and is provided with a plunger which isdriven against the nail head by means of a hammer; the nail having beenpreviously partially driven, and protrudes above the surface of thepanel; the object being to complete the setting of the nail to thebottom of the groove.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparentfrom a consideration of the following detailed description. It is,however, to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to thedetails disclosed, but includes all such variations as fall within thespirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the tool with portions broken away toshow details.

FIG. 2 is a view of the nail-engaging end.

FIG. 3 is a section taken at 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the tool in position to set a partially-drivennail in a groove.

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the tool shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but after the nail has been setflush with the bottom surface of the groove.

FIG. 7 is a section taken at 7-7 of FIG. 5.

The tool as shown in the drawing comprises a body portion 10, preferablyof metal and of a suitable thickness. A beveled guide edge 12 is formedso as to rest upon the bottom surface of the groove 14, or otherwiseconform to the contour thereof, of the panel 15.

In this instance, the plunger 16 is of a thickness uniform with that ofthe body portion the latter having an upper plane bearing surface 18.Plunger 16 has a lower bearing surface which slidably engages surface 18of body portion 10. Surface 18 is provided with a notch 22, whilesurface 20 of plunger 16 is provided with a lug 24 which travels innotch 22, and permits a limited amount of travel longitudinally forsliding plunger 16 relative to body portion 18.

A guide member 26 slidably receives plunger 16 and has wall portions 28and 30 that embrace body portion 10. Guide member 26 is integrally fixedto body member 10 by welding or by other suitable means, as at 32. Thusplunger 16 is free to slide within guide member 26, being limited onlyby the engagement of lug 24 with the end walls of notch 22. The purposeof notch 22 and lug 24 is to prevent disengagement of plunger 16 frombody 10. Plunger 16 is provided with an anvil end 34 which is beveled asshown. Hammer end 36 is also beveled to reduce the brooming" caused byrepeated use.

When using this tool to secure a panel to the customary framing, such as38, the nail is first driven into the groove 14 in the conventionalmanner to the depth shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, with the head 42 thereofextending above the surface of the panel 15. With the plunger 16retracted as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the tool is positioned with theedge 12in groove 14 and with anvil end 34 in contact with head 42 of thenail 40. A hammer such as H is then employed to set head 42 of nail 40flush with the bottom surface of groove 14. It will be evident that thistool provides the means to set a nail at the bottom of a groove with nodanger of defacing the surface of the panel or the groove. The operationis repeated for each nail that is driven: A finger hole 44 is providedin body 10 to receive the index finger of the hand holding the tool.

The above being a complete description of an illustrative embodiment ofthe invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured byLetters Patent of the United States is:

1. A nail-setting tool for finally setting nails in a groove of panelingwhen mounting the latter, which nails have been partially driven intosaid groove substantially normal to said panel and extend above thesurface thereof, said tool comprising a planar body portion having aguide edge positionable in said groove, a plunger slidable on said bodyportion on a plane bearing surface extending in a direction normal tosaid guide edge, and means provided to confine said plunger to a slidingrelationship on said bearing surface in a direction normal to said guideedge.

2. A nail setting tool as set forth in claim 1, comprising a guidemember'embracing said plunger and secured integrally with said body.

3. A nail setting tool as set forth in claim 1, in which said bodyportion is provided with an aperture to receive a finger of the handholding the tool.

4. A nail setting tool as set forth in claim 1, in which said bearingsurface is provided with a longitudinal notch, and said plunge having alug extending into said notch to limit the travel of said plungerrelative to said bearing surface.

5. A nail setting tool as set forth in claim 1, in which said guide edgeis beveled longitudinally relative to both surfaces of said bodyportion. =1:

1. A nail-setting tool for finally setting nails in a groove of panelingwhen mounting the latter, which nails have been partially driven intosaid groove substantially normal to said panel and extend above thesurface thereof, said tool comprising a planar body portion having aguide edge positionable in said groove, a plunger slidable on said bodyportion on a plane bearing surface extending in a direction normal tosaid guide edge, and means provided to confine said plunger to a slidingrelationship on said bearing surface in a direction normal to said guideedge.
 2. A nail setting tool as set forth in claim 1, comprising a guidemember embracing said plunger and secured integrally with said body. 3.A nail setting tool as set forth in claim 1, in which said body portionis provided with an aperture to receive a finger of the hand holding thetool.
 4. A nail setting tool as set forth in claim 1, in which saidbearing surface is provided with a longitudinal notch, and said plungehaving a lug extending into said notch to limit the travel of saidplunger relative to said bearing surface.
 5. A nail setting tool as setforth in claim 1, in which said guide edge is beveled longitudinallyrelative to both surfaces of said body portion.